Microsoft Cracking Down On Revenge Porn In Search Results
(CBS SF) -- Along with a slew of websites and social media platforms, Microsoft is beefing up its policies around "revenge porn" and opting for a new system to help victims report abuse.
In a blog post Wednesday, the company said it will no longer tolerate the sharing of intimate images of another person without that person's consent -- also known as "revenge porn" -- by helping users make takedown requests to scrub the images from Bing search results.
"When someone shares intimate images of another person online without that person's consent, the effects can be truly devastating," Microsoft wrote. "Revenge porn is on the rise across the globe. It can damage nearly every aspect of a victim's life: relationships, career, social activities. In the most severe and tragic cases, it has even led to suicide."
Other websites and social media platforms are also cracking down on revenge porn. Twitter, Reddit and Google all took action this year to either ban revenge porn or honor requests to take down links to sexually explicit images from search engines.
The new reporting website is currently only available in English but Microsoft expects in expand it to other languages in the coming weeks.
Nicole Jones is a digital producer for CBS San Francisco. Follow her
musings @nicjonestweets
